


The Adventure Zone: Enrollment

by LuciusIII



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Kravitz studies philosophy, M/M, Taako studies linguistics and Kravitz gets him to try a class on philosophy, The Raven Queen is their professor, With Barry, magnus is training for sports things, merle helps magnus with meditation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22669276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciusIII/pseuds/LuciusIII
Summary: Scenes from college life! Every chapter is a small story focussing on the birds and their studies.
Relationships: Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Exception

“That will be all for today, more tomorrow. Speaking of, read chapter seven through nine for tomorrow. Exams are coming up, so my office door will be open from three to five ‘o clock today if anyone has questions. I have to get going now.” Professor Raven picked up the black leather bag standing at the foot of the chalkboard and headed towards the door.

“Professor, may I walk with you?” Kravitz had quickly joined his teacher and had already taken his place beside her without waiting for an answer.

“Make it quick, Kravitz, I have a meeting to get to.” Professor Raven sounded serious, as she always did, but Kravitz knew she liked him. He had always sat up front in her classroom and always got good marks on her tests, which was a quick way to win her approval.

“I was looking ahead in the class schedule, and I saw that we’ll be discussing death next term?” The professor was much taller than he was, and he had to hold a quick pace to keep up with her.

“ _Autonomy in Relation to Life and Death_ , yes. I think you’ll do well. What’s your question?”

“Since it’s the first discussion we have on the topic, I was wondering if you could make an exception for a friend of mine. He’d like to take the course.”

“I’m sorry, you know I can’t do-” Kravitz interrupted her, which she wasn’t used to. He was normally very well behaved during her lectures and always awaited his turn to speak.

“I know, it’s an advanced course” Kravitz interrupted her, which she wasn’t used to. He was normally very well behaved during her lectures and always awaited his turn to speak. “But he will do all the preparatory reading and I’ve checked, the class isn’t a follow-up on one I’ve had, so if I can do it, so can he, and-” Professor Raven raised her left hand, silencing him.

“What’s his major?”

“Linguistics.” Kravitz heard the professor suck air through her teeth. He had hoped she wouldn’t ask, as he knew she despised the linguistics professor.

“Did professor Deneir agree to it?”

“Yes, he said my friend could take your class instead of _Death in Classical Literature_ for the same credit if you agreed.”

“You’ve already done the paperwork, I assume?” Kravitz smiled widely and took some papers from his bag. He handed them to the professor, who could now see all the fields had been filled out already.

“They’re all complete. Only thing missing is your signature, professor.” Professor Raven looked at the paper, frowned, and ultimately looked back at Kravitz. She stopped walking.

“Do you have a pen?” Kravitz’ smile grew wider as he handed her the pen from his breast pocket. She signed at the bottom of the final page without looking through the document, trusting that Kravitz had neatly followed the instructions.

“Thank you, professor. I’ll tell my friend he got in.” The professor smiled slightly, breaking up her usually stoic face.

“Your participation in my class has granted you this favour, Kravitz, not me. Don’t tell anyone I did this, I’m not doing it again.” Kravitz nodded, taking back the paperwork.

“My lips are sealed, professor.” As professor Raven turned away, Kravitz celebrated under his breath.

* * *

“What are you so happy about?” Kravitz sat down in his seat up front and turned around to face Barry, who always sat behind him in this class. Barry wasn't majoring in philosophy like Kravitz was, but in sociology, which meant they took one or two classes together each semester. This class, _Principles of Community and Society,_ bridged the gap between their fields of study.

“Oh, nothing much. I just got Taako into professor Raven’s next class, that’s all.” Barry’s mouth dropped open.

“Bullshit. The Raven’s class? Bullshit!” Kravitz grinned proudly.

“Not bullshit whatsoever, my dearest Barold: see for yourself.” Kravitz handed him the paperwork, and indeed: the name at the top of the first page was T. Taaco.

“How did you- But- The Raven hates outside students! Hell, she hates half of her own classes! Double hell, she hates me!”

“For a start, I don’t call our professor ’ _The Raven_ ’, I'm a philosopy major, and I get straight A’s in all her classes. She likes me.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Kravitz knocked on the blue dorm door he had become so familiar with over the past few months. He heard the squeaky desk chair wheel roll over the linoleum inside and he heard his boyfriend mutter to himself.

“Where do I sign?” asked Taako, looking down at his phone instead of at Kravitz.

“Right here under the restraining order, please.” Kravitz smiled as he saw Taako realize who he was.

“Babe! I’m sorry, I was expecting a package, but you’ll do. Come in!” Taako pecked him on the lips as Kravitz passed him entering the room.

“I’ll do? Always the warm welcome with you, huh?”

“You know you love me anyway, Kravvy.” Kravitz sighed as he put his bag down and sat down on the bed. “Anyway,” Taako continued, “what brings you around these here parts anyway? I didn’t expect you before tonight. Don’t you normally have class Thursday afternoon?”

“I do, but Barry will give me his notes. I have something to show you.” Kravitz bent down and took the papers from his bag.

“You didn’t!” Taako gasped.

“I did.”

“Shut up. You did not!”

“Read the ink babe. I really did.” Kravitz grinned and handed Taako the paper. “I got you into professor Raven’s class.”

“The death one?” Taako gleamed looking over the papers in his hands.

“Yeah, that one. _Autonomy in Relation to Life and Death_.” Kravitz in turn gleamed looking at the happy elf standing before him. “That’s the one you wanted to take, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” Taako looked up from the paper. “Thanks, babe.” Kravitz smiled softly as he looked Taako in the eyes. It made him feel warm inside to see his boyfriend happy, it always had. He patted on the bed beside him and Taako sat down, hanging his arms around Kravitz’ shoulders. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

* * *

That same evening, Taako’s phone rang. He was sat alone in his bed watching something on his laptop and eating spaghetti. Kravitz had left to study for his exams with Barry, although Taako had made him promise to return and stay the night. He looked at his phone to see who was calling. ‘ _Lup_ ’, the screen said, followed by two emoji: a wolf and a pink heart. She had entered in the wolf emoji, but he had added the heart because he knew she was a softie at heart.

“Office of Taako, Taako speaking.” The twins often talked on the phone when they weren’t busy studying (which Lup, as she herself said, never was because ‘she was just awesome at everything’). Taako always said this was because he did not want to leave any textual proof of his words, but in reality he found comfort in his sister’s words. Lup would never admit it out loud, but this comfort was mutual.

“Hey, dipshit, Barry just texted me about the philosophy class. Krav finally managed to get you in, then?”

“He did! Because contrary to some people on this phone call, I actually have a cool boyfriend.”

“Fuck you, Barry bought me a donut yesterday so you can stick it up your ass. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something, but I seem to have forgotten…”

“I swear, your brain is like a strainer.”

“Don’t make fun of me I have a disorder you twat.”

“We both have ADHD, but only one of us is an idiot.”

“At least I’m not studying linguistics!”

“Linguistics is just as much of a science as physics is, you elitist!”

“That falsehood aside, I remember why I called. I wanted to ask you something about the philosophy thing.”

“Please, do!”

“Why are you taking it anyway? I thought you weren’t really big on philosophy? You know, your whole ‘live in the moment and think about nothing’ deal?”

“I think about some things!”

“Sure you do, hon. So why are you taking the class?”

“For Krav, if I’m honest. I wanted to show interest in his, well, his interests. Death isn’t really my thing-”

“That’s just dumb, death is cool as heck.”

“Not everyone is stuck in their goth phase, Lup. As I was saying… The whole death thing – hell, the whole philosophy thing – isn’t really my cup of tea, but if he loves it, I’ll at least give it a try.” Lup was silent for a few seconds, which was uncharacteristic of her. She was usually very witty and quick.

“That’s real fucking sweet, Taako. That’s some real romance shit.”

“I suppose it is. Anyway, you seen episode 8 yet? Came out today.”

“Holy shit, really? I’ve been waiting for two weeks!”

“Just messing with you, new episode next week.”

“Fuck you!”


	2. Inclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melre waits for Magnus at the gym and helps him focus. Johann is in this one too.

When Merle entered the gym building, the receptionist smiled at him politely. He smiled back and stood in the lobby, idly looking around at the pictures on the wall.

“Is this your first time here?” the receptionist asked him.

“Oh! No, no! Well, yes, it is, but I’m not here for sportin’. I’m more of a sports-are-for-watching kinda guy, you know?” The receptionist looked as if she didn’t understand.

“Is there any way I can help you? Do you need directions, or…?”

“I’m just waiting for a friend, thank you.” Merle squinted when he smiled, he always had.

“Feel free to take a seat over there if you’d like, then.” The receptionist gestured towards a corner of the lobby with a few chairs around a small table stacked with sports’ magazines. He sat down and looked at the top one. ‘Jess the Beheader devastates Goldcliffe trio in Sunday Night Smash’, it said. Merle thought to himself that he needed to watch that fight, he was quite the fan of Jess, although class had been getting in the way of keeping up with sports.

“Merle!” the thunderous voice followed the swinging open of the electronic gates. Merle swung his head around and saw Magnus with a towel still around his neck, his hair damp from the shower.

“Magnus, buddy! How was the sportin’?” Merle smiled his trademark smile, which his friends knew was genuine but often seemed sarcastic or cynical to strangers.

“Sporting was good, did some fun lifts. Ran 5 miles in 30 minutes, so cardio’s getting up there too. Still a long way to go, though.” Merle nodded. Magnus was training for the Neverwinter Barbarian Gauntlet, a fitness challenge that would take place in a few months. The toughest folks in the land competed at the Gauntlet and although the fastest times always went to veterans, completing the challenge was an achievement on its own.

“Ready for our little exercise?” Merle rose from his chair as Magnus grabbed his duffel and the two walked out side by side, Merle still holding the sports magazine as they left. He would later claim he had simply forgotten to put it back.

As the two of them strolled across campus, Magnus slowing his steps as not to make Merle run, they looked at the squirrels running around the statue of the school’s founder, Istus.

“Do you see the squirrels, Magnus? How carelessly they play now that the sun is out?” Merle looked up at his tall friend.

“Yeah, why?”

“They know in their subconscious that a time will come where they will have to look for shelter and food, but for now they play. Do you see where I’m coming from?” Magnus looked ahead in thought.

“I should focus on my training instead of the Gauntlet, because it’s too far away to be worried about?” He looked back down at Merle, who smiled in return.

“Good insight, and definitely true, but not what I was getting at. When you’re in the Gauntlet, or in the middle of a workout, you shouldn’t think about the set that’s coming next. The weight on your mind should be the one in the air, not the one in the rack.. Do you get where I’m coming from?”

“I think so, yes. Focus on the now.”

“That’s right.” They had arrived at the botanical gardens, a part of the college campus that neither of them had frequented before starting to work together a few weeks back. They followed the winding, red-brick paved paths down to the centre of the circular garden, where the greenhouse-like structure housed all the plants that weren’t suited for the cold local weather.

“Student ID, please.” The voice came from a small window on the right of the entrance to the gardens, just past the glass door to the greenhouse. The duo stopped in their tracks, looking to the right. There was a small glass cubicle, almost completely overgrown by ivy and algae, save for the opening behind which a tired face was visible.

“Johann! How are you, buddy?” Magnus leaned on the little windowsill by the window.

“I’m good, Magnus, thanks. How about you?” Johann spoke with a monotone voice, as he almost always did.

“I’m good too. Merle, you know Johann?”

“Yeah,” Leon said.

“No”, Merle said at the same time, quickly realizing what Johann had said. Merle started to mumble an apology when Johann interrupted him again.

“It’s cool, dude. I’m just messing with ya, we haven’t met. Anyway, can I see student ID?” Magnus frowned.

“We’ve never had to show ID before, what changed?” Merle had already presented his ID without even thinking about the fact that they had never been required to show ID to enter the greenhouse, nor had they ever seen someone in the little cubicle.

“Oh, you guys aren’t here for professor Pan’s fern thing?” Magnus and Merle looked at each other with a questioning glance, and then back at Leon.

“Professor Pan? Who’s he again?” Magnus recognized the name, but he didn’t visit the science side of the campus often enough to know all the professors that taught there.

“He’s the plant biology professor, I took a class of his in my first year.” Merle knew the professor, but he didn’t know about his ‘fern thing’. “So he’s doing an activity here or something? Ferns, you said?”

“Yeah, it’s an extracurricular” Johann responded, “The uniquities of the reproductive biology observed in the Felicity Wilds, it’s called. Sounds like a real snoozefest to me, but student union’s paying me four dollars an hour to do my work in here instead of at home. All I have to do is check people off this list.”

“Yeah,” Magnus answered, “We’re not here for that, I’m not much of a biologist.” He chuckled. “So, is the greenhouse open for us, or…”

“I’m not a security guard, dude, I’m not going to stop you. Just stay clear of the back aisles with the ferns in them and we’re all good.”

“Thanks, Leon.” The duo walked past Leon’s little hut and weaved their way through rows and rows of shelves, all filled with a variety of colourful and oddly shaped plants.

“Any thoughts right now, Magnus?” Merle was beginning the first part of their weekly exercise.

“Not particularly, no. Worried about some things coming up, some assignments and tests, but nothing in particular, no.” Magnus kicked a pebble, which bounced again the little raised wall along the path and skidded further along.

“That’s good, that’s good. Better for the mind not to think about much.” They arrived at a little round crossing of two paths near the corner of the greenhouse. Merle bent below one of the overgrown racks and pulled out two rubber mats, of the kind a gardener would use to rest his knees on while working close to the ground. He handed one to Magnus and they both sat down, Merle’s legs crossed and Magnus attempting to mirror his smaller friend. He ultimately failed to be flexible and sat down next to Merle with his legs straight.

“Same stuff as last week?” Both had their eyes closed, but Magnus still turned his head to talk to Merle.

“Almost, but it’s the same start. Want me to take you through the beginning again?”

“I’d like that, yes.” Merle scraped his throat.

“Alright, we start by imagining a stream before us, with a rope above it.” As the guided meditation went on, Magnus’ worries about the gauntlet and his schoolwork slowly faded. The greenhouse was empty apart from the two of them and the fern class, but any accidental onlooker would have seen Merle sneakily open his eyes and take Meditation 101 from his bag. He was not dedicated enough to study for his class on it, he’d pass his counselling minor either way, but he was dedicated enough to help his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less romance on this one, more friendship between my differently-sized boys.


End file.
